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At least 307 records · Page 17

Reductive Elimination From Tetra‐Alkyl Cuprates [Me n Cu(CF 3 ) 4− n ] − ( n =0–4): Beyond Simple Oxidation States

Abstract In recent years, the electronic structures of organocuprates in general and the complex [Cu(CF 3 ) 4 ] − in particular have attracted significant interest. A possible key indicator in this context is the reactivity of these species. Nonetheless, this aspect has received only limited attention. Here, we systematically study the series of tetra‐alkyl cuprates [Me n Cu(CF 3 ) 4− n ] − and their unimolecular reactivity in the gas phase, which includes concerted formal reductive eliminations as well as radical losses. Through computational studies, we characterize the electronic structures of the complexes and show how these are connected to their reactivity. We find that all [Me n Cu(CF 3 ) 4− n ] − ions feature inverted ligand fields and that the distinct reactivity patterns of the individual complexes arise from the interplay of different effects.

Zimmer, Bastian↗

Integrative teaching of metabolic modeling and flux analysis with interactive python modules

Abstract The modeling of rates of biochemical reactions—fluxes—in metabolic networks is widely used for both basic biological research and biotechnological applications. A number of different modeling methods have been developed to estimate and predict fluxes, including kinetic and constraint‐based (Metabolic Flux Analysis and flux balance analysis) approaches. Although different resources exist for teaching these methods individually, to‐date no resources have been developed to teach these approaches in an integrative way that equips learners with an understanding of each modeling paradigm, how they relate to one another, and the information that can be gleaned from each. We have developed a series of modeling simulations in Python to teach kinetic modeling, metabolic control analysis, 13C‐metabolic flux analysis, and flux balance analysis. These simulations are presented in a series of interactive notebooks with guided lesson plans and associated lecture notes. Learners assimilate key principles using models of simple metabolic networks by running simulations, generating and using data, and making and validating predictions about the effects of modifying model parameters. We used these simulations as the hands‐on computer laboratory component of a four‐day metabolic modeling workshop and participant survey results showed improvements in learners' self‐assessed competence and confidence in understanding and applying metabolic modeling techniques after having attended the workshop. The resources provided can be incorporated in their entirety or individually into courses and workshops on bioengineering and metabolic modeling at the undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate level.

Kaste, Joshua A. M.↗

Hydrogen Bonding Stiffens Peptide Amphiphile Supramolecular Filaments by Aza-Glycine Residues

Peptide amphiphiles (PAs) are a class of molecules comprised of short amino acid sequences conjugated to hydrophobic moieties that may exhibit self-assembly in water into supramolecular structures. Here, we investigate here how mechanical properties of hydrogels formed by PA supramolecular nanofibers are affected by hydrogen bond densities within their internal structure by substituting glycine for aza-glycine (azaG) residues. We found that increasing the number of PA molecules that contain azaG up to 5 mol% in PA supramolecular nanofibers increases their persistence length fivefold and decreases their diffusion coefficients as measured by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. When these PAs are used to create hydrogels, their bulk storage modulus (G') was found to increase as azaG PA content in the supramolecular assemblies increases up to a value of 10 mol% and beyond this value a decrease was observed, likely due to diminished levels of nanofiber entanglement in the hydrogels as a direct result of increased supramolecular rigidity. Interestingly, we found that the bioactivity of the scaffolds toward dopaminergic neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells can be enhanced directly by persistence length independently of storage modulus. We hypothesize that this is due to interactions between the cells and the extracellular environment across different size scales: from filopodia adhering to individual nanofiber bundles to cell adhesion sites that interact with the hydrogel as a bulk substrate. Fine tuning of hydrogen bond density in self-assembling peptide biomaterials such as PAs provides an approach to control nanoscale stiffness as part of an overall strategy to optimize bioactivity in these supramolecular systems. supramolecular biomaterials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Sectoral and growth rate control on elemental uptake by individual calcite crystals

Heterogeneous distribution of trace elements (impurities) within individual calcite crystals is a phenomenon commonly observed in natural and laboratory systems. Changes in thermodynamic intensive parameters (mostly chemical potential and temperature) cannot always explain the inhomogeneous impurity patterns in calcite crystals and it has been suggested that growth rate and crystallographic orientation may exert strong effects on elemental incorporation into calcite. In addition, there are a number of experimental studies on micro-scale element (E) distribution between non-equivalent pairs of calcite vicinal faces (known as sectoral zoning); however, the variability of partition coefficients (e.g., K E = (E/Ca) calcite /(E/Ca) fluid ) within individual crystals remains undetermined. In this study, we have extended the work on elemental distribution between crystal sectors to evaluation of partition coefficients of trace and minor elements (Li, B, Mg, and Sr) in calcite crystal faces (10–14) and (01-12), whose growth rates were assessed. Growth entrapment model (GEM) and lattice strain theory were applied to explain K E heterogeneity by varying near-surface diffusivity of Mg and Sr and by varying surface enrichment factor for Li, B, Mg, and Sr. Decoupling of sectoral and growth rate effects reveals that sectoral zoning plays a key role in elemental distribution. More specifically, K Li and K B vary by more than one order of magnitude and K Mg varies by a factor of two within individual crystal faces. Strontium sectoral distribution is different from those of Li, B, and Mg and K Sr varies by up to a factor of two. Finally, these behaviors likely reflect different mechanisms of incorporation of Li, B, Mg, and Sr into calcite.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

GMRES with embedded ensemble propagation for the efficient solution of parametric linear systems in uncertainty quantification of computational models

In a previous work, embedded ensemble propagation was proposed to improve the efficiency of sampling-based uncertainty quantification methods of computational models on emerging computational architectures. It consists of simultaneously evaluating the model for a subset of samples together, instead of evaluating them individually. A first approach introduced to solve parametric linear systems with ensemble propagation is ensemble reduction. In Krylov methods for example, this reduction consists in coupling the samples together using an inner product that sums the sample contributions. Ensemble reduction has the advantages of being able to use optimized implementations of BLAS functions and having a stopping criterion which involves only one scalar. However, the reduction potentially decreases the rate of convergence due to the gathering of the spectra of the samples. In this paper, we investigate a second approach: ensemble propagation without ensemble reduction in the case of GMRES. This second approach solves each sample simultaneously but independently to improve the convergence compared to ensemble reduction. This raises two new issues which are solved in this paper: the fact that optimized implementations of BLAS functions cannot be used anymore and that ensemble divergence, whereby individual samples within an ensemble must follow different code execution paths, can occur. We tackle those issues by implementing a high-performing ensemble GEMV and by using masks. The proposed ensemble GEMV leads to a similar cost per GMRES iteration for both approaches, i.e. with and without reduction. For illustration, we study the performances of the new linear solver in the context of a mesh tying problem. Furthermore, this example demonstrates improved ensemble propagation speed-up without reduction.

BLAS↗

Calculating elements of matrix functions using divided differences

In this work, we introduce a method for calculating individual elements of matrix functions. Our technique makes use of a novel series expansion for the action of matrix functions on basis vectors that is memory efficient even for very large matrices. We showcase our approach by calculating the matrix elements of the exponential of a transverse-field Ising model and evaluating quantum transition amplitudes for large many-body Hamiltonians of sizes up to 2 64 x 2 64 on a single workstation. We also discuss the application of the method to matrix inverses. We relate and compare our method to the state-of-the-art and demonstrate its advantages. We also discuss practical applications of our method.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Binding mechanism and binding free energy of amino acids and citrate to hydroxyapatite surfaces as a function of crystallographic facet, pH, and electrolytes

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is the major mineral phase in bone and teeth. The interaction of individual amino acids and citrate ions with different crystallographic HAP surfaces has remained uncertain for decades, creating a knowledge gap to rationally design interactions with peptides, proteins, and drugs. In this contribution, we quantify the binding mechanisms and binding free energies of the 20 end-capped natural amino acids and citrate ions on the basal (001) and prismatic (010)/(020) planes of hydroxyapatite at pH values of 7 and 5 for the first time at the molecular scale. We utilized over 1500 steered molecular dynamics simulations with highly accurate potentials that reproduce surface and hydration energies of (hkl) hydroxyapatite surfaces at different pH values. Charged residues demonstrate a much higher affinity to HAP than charge-neutral species due to the formation of superficial ion pairs and ease of penetration into layers of water molecules on the mineral surface. Binding free energies range from 0 to -60 kJ/mol and were determined with ~10% uncertainty. The highest affinity was found for citrate, followed by Asp(-) and Glu(-), and followed after a gap by Arg(+), Lys(+), as well as by His(+) at pH 5. The (hkl)-specific area density of calcium ions, the protonation state of phosphate ions, and subsurface directional order of the ions in HAP lead to surface-specific binding patterns. Amino acids without ionic side groups exhibit weak binding, between -3 and 0 kJ/mol, due to difficulties to penetrate the first layer of water molecules on the apatite surfaces. We explain recognition processes that remained elusive in experiments, in prior simulations, discuss agreement with available data, and reconcile conflicting interpretations. In conclusion, the findings can serve as useful input for the design of peptides, proteins, and drug molecules for the modification of bone and teeth-related materials, as well as control of apatite mineralization.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DeepM&Mnet: Inferring the electroconvection multiphysics fields based on operator approximation by neural networks

Electroconvection is a multiphysics problem involving coupling of the flow field with the electric field as well as the cation and anion concentration fields. Here, we use electroconvection as a benchmark problem to put forward a new data assimilation framework, the DeepM&Mnet, for simulating multiphysics and multiscale problems at speeds much faster than standard numerical methods using pre-trained neural networks. We first pre-train DeepONets that can predict independently each field, given general inputs from the rest of the fields of the coupled system. DeepONets can approximate nonlinear operators and are composed of two sub-networks, a branch net for the input fields and a trunk net for the locations of the output field. DeepONets, which are extremely fast, are used as building blocks in the DeepM&Mnet and form constraints for the multiphysics solution along with some sparse available measurements of any of the fields. We demonstrate the new methodology and document the accuracy of each individual DeepONet, and subsequently we present two different DeepM&Mnet architectures that infer accurately and efficiently 2D electroconvection fields for unseen electric potentials. Furthermore, the DeepM&Mnet framework is general and can be applied for building any complex multiphysics and multiscale models based on very few measurements using pre-trained DeepONets in a “plug-and-play” mode.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Unsteady- and Steady-State Relative Permeability Study with X-ray and Acoustic Monitoring for CO 2 Storage in Deep Saline Aquifers

In this study, we link the multiphase flow measurements with controls of sedimentary structures (e.g., heterogeneity and anisotropy) on relative permeability to variations in ultrasonic velocities for two deep saline aquifer formations (Entrada and Bluff Sandstones) in the San Juan Basin of the Southwestern USA. The rock specimens were extracted from outcrop sites near Durango, CO, USA. They have distinct differences in grain size, cementation composition, and individual chemical amounts, despite both formations being eolian sandstones. We performed a series of unsteady- and steady-state CO 2 -brine relative permeability experiments under capillary-controlled displacement rates. Unsteady-state experiments were conducted at 71 °C and 9.65 MPa; steady-state experiments were conducted at 85 °C and 22.8 MPa and 89 °C and 24.1 MPa for the Bluff and Entrada Sandstones, respectively. During the unsteady experiments, X-ray computed tomography was used to visualize multiphase flow in porous media and quantify saturations during brine drainage under various flow rates. Scan images and saturation profiles indicate that the CO 2 distribution in the pore volume was strongly impacted by the presence of high-angle cross-laminations, heterogeneous rock structure, and direction of bedding orientation. Those factors contribute to dramatic and quick initial breakthroughs and affect the overall saturation dynamics. Steady-state relative permeability tests were conducted at net flow rates of 1 mL/min for both brine drainage and imbibition. During the experimental steps, the CO 2 fractional flow was increased and decreased for both drainage and imbibition scenarios to mimic the front when CO 2 contacts brine and behind the front when brine enters space previously occupied by CO 2 . It was found that compressional velocity decreased, while shear waves slightly increased as brine saturation decreased. The hysteresis effects for the relative permeability and acoustic velocities were distinct. Furthermore, the CO 2 /brine front stability is quantified by applying a mobility ratio approach to spot saturations at which the boundary line between fluids becomes uneven. The results presented in this work can potentially boost the quality and precision of forecasts for the CO 2 storage projects in which the vertical and horizontal core-scale heterogeneity and anisotropy impact the plume migration within host reservoirs.

carbon dioxide (CO2)↗

Mixed metal zero-mode guides (ZMWs) for tunable fluorescence enhancement

Zero-mode waveguides (ZMWs) are capable of modifying fluorescence emission through interactions with surface plasmon modes leading to either plasmon-enhanced fluorescence or quenching. Enhancement requires spectral overlap of the plasmon modes with the absorption or emission of the fluorophore. Thus, enhancement is limited to fluorophores in resonance with metals (e.g. Al, Au, Ag) used for ZMWs. The ability to tune interactions to match a wider range of fluorophores across the visible spectra would significantly extend the utility of ZMWs. We fabricated ZMWs composed of aluminum and gold individually and also in mixtures of three different ratios, (Al : Au; 75 : 25, 50 : 50, 25 : 75). We characterized the effect of mixed-metal ZMWs on single-molecule emission for a range fluorophores across the visible spectrum. Mixed metal ZMWs exhibited a shift in the spectral range where they exhibited the maximum fluorescence enhancement allowing us to match the emission of fluorophores that were nonresonant with single metal ZMWs. We also compared the effect of mixed-metal ZMWs on the photophysical properties of fluorescent molecules due to metal–molecule interactions. We quantified changes in fluorescence lifetimes and photostability that were dependent on the ratio of Au and Al. Tuning the enhancement properties of ZMWs by changing the ratio of Au and Al allowed us to match the fluorescence of fluorophores that emit in different regions of the visible spectrum.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

In situ ambient pressure XPS study of Pt/Cu(111) single-atom alloy in catalytically relevant reaction conditions

The presence of multiple reactant gases as well as reaction intermediates in a heterogeneous catalytic reaction results in a complex interaction between different components of the catalyst with each gas, which can alter the surface and chemical state of the catalyst differently than in the presence of an individual gas alone. In this study, we used in situ ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to study the surface state of Pt/Cu(111) single-atom alloy model system in two catalytically relevant reaction conditions: CO 2 hydrogenation and CO oxidation. We found that the activation of CO 2 results in the formation of CO, which adsorbs on Pt sites at up to 400 K. In the presence of CO 2 and H 2 , Pt catalyzes the reverse water–gas shift reaction, which produces more CO and further stabilizes surface Pt atoms at 450 K. On the other hand, in CO oxidation condition, the presence of O 2 results in the formation of a thick Cu 2 O layer at higher temperatures, and Pt atoms are no longer detected in the surface and subsurface layers. When O 2 is introduced to the sample before CO, the formation of a complete Cu 2 O layer that covers all Pt atoms occurs immediately at room temperature. Finally, however, when CO is introduced at room temperature before O 2 , the presence of adsorbed CO on Pt sites stabilizes the surface Pt atoms and prevents the formation of a complete Cu 2 O layer, thus exposing the Pt atoms in 'holes' in the Cu 2 O layer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Application of DLT cybersecurity stack to TES applications for a scalable, cybersecure, and interoperable future

Transactive Energy Systems (TES) are expected to improve upon existing grid operations and capabilities by enabling the integration of traditional grid resources with distributed energy resources (DER). Distributed Ledger Technology or DLT (e.g., blockchain) presents itself as a viable instrument to support decentralized, autonomous, and tamper-evident applications, which can be leveraged within TES's ecosystem. DLTs can provide pertinent security controls including access controls, data immutability, and traceability in addition to other well-known advantages such as decentralization and scalability. This work demonstrates the DLT Cybersecurity stack and its applicability to TES-based use-cases/applications. The seven-layer DLT cybersecurity stack is a DLT-agnostic framework that can quickly be used to classify and group the individual needs of an application into the different processing and cybersecurity layers offered by a DLT using a common taxonomy and an architectural mapping framework. This enables application engineers to demystify and strengthen the overall security aspects of their systems while maintaining an open perspective towards features and drawbacks that may hinder their performance in real-world scenarios. The paper leverages the work performed by the IEEE P2418.5 - Blockchain for Energy Standards working group.

Blockchain, blockchain interoperability, Cybersecu↗

Neural Networks-Based Inverter Control: Modeling and Adaptive Optimization for Smart Distribution Networks

The optimal voltage control of inverter-based resources, especially under the high penetration of solar photovoltaics, is critical to the stability of the distribution power system. However, the computational complexity as well as the coordinated operation performance of the voltage control optimization in the distribution power system limits the real-time applications. To mitigate this issue, a model-free based adaptive optimal control scheme for the smart inverter is proposed to maximize the active power generation, minimize the power loss, and maintain the bus voltages in smart distribution networks. An inverter-based optimization model for coordinated operation is first established, considering the uncertainties of renewable power generation. Subsequently, by collecting the data and control strategies, the neural networks (NNs) based algorithm is proposed to efficiently predict the best possible control strategy. The main objective of this scheme is to accurately predict candidate optimal solutions with near-negligible feasibility and optimization gaps, with the advantage of avoiding complicated iteration-based numerical algorithms. Thereafter, the co-simulation among OpenDSS, MATLAB, and Python is set up to fully take advantage of the three individual software. Experiments are conducted based on different control parameter characteristics and structures of NNs. Finally, the results reveal that an average mean squared error of 0.013 and 1 ms response time are achieved, which is lower than some state-of-the-art methods.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Salinization and sedimentation drive contrasting assembly mechanisms of planktonic and sediment‐bound bacterial communities in agricultural streams

Abstract Agriculture is the most dominant land use globally and is projected to increase in the future to support a growing human population but also threatens ecosystem structure and services. Bacteria mediate numerous biogeochemical pathways within ecosystems. Therefore, identifying linkages between stressors associated with agricultural land use and responses of bacterial diversity is an important step in understanding and improving resource management. Here, we use the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) ecoregion, a highly modified agroecosystem, as a case study to better understand agriculturally associated drivers of stream bacterial diversity and assembly mechanisms. In the MAP, we found that planktonic bacterial communities were strongly influenced by salinity. Tolerant taxa increased with increasing ion concentrations, likely driving homogenous selection which accounted for ~90% of assembly processes. Sediment bacterial phylogenetic diversity increased with increasing agricultural land use and was influenced by sediment particle size, with assembly mechanisms shifting from homogenous to variable selection as differences in median particle size increased. Within individual streams, sediment heterogeneity was correlated with bacterial diversity and a subsidy‐stress relationship along the particle size gradient was observed. Planktonic and sediment communities within the same stream also diverged as sediment particle size decreased. Nutrients including carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, which tend to be elevated in agroecosystems, were also associated with detectable shifts in bacterial community structure. Collectively, our results establish that two understudied variables, salinity and sediment texture, are the primary drivers of bacterial diversity within the studied agroecosystem, whereas nutrients are secondary drivers. Although numerous macrobiological communities respond negatively, we observed increasing bacterial diversity in response to agricultural stressors including salinization and sedimentation. Elevated taxonomic and phylogenetic bacterial diversity likely increases the probability of detecting community responses to stressors. Thus, bacteria community responses may be more reliable for establishing water quality goals within highly modified agroecosystems that have experienced shifting baselines.

DeVilbiss, Stephen E.↗

Terpenes modulate bacterial and fungal growth and sorghum rhizobiome communities

ABSTRACT Terpenes are among the oldest and largest class of plant-specialized bioproducts that are known to affect plant development, adaptation, and biological interactions. While their biosynthesis, evolution, and function in aboveground interactions with insects and individual microbial species are well studied, how different terpenes impact plant microbiomes belowground is much less understood. Here we designed an experiment to assess how belowground exogenous applications of monoterpenes (1,8-cineole and linalool) and a sesquiterpene (nerolidol) delivered through an artificial root system impacted its belowground bacterial and fungal microbiome. We found that the terpene applications had significant and variable impacts on bacterial and fungal communities, depending on terpene class and concentration; however, these impacts were localized to the artificial root system and the fungal rhizosphere. We complemented this experiment with pure culture bioassays on responsive bacteria and fungi isolated from the sorghum rhizobiome. Overall, higher concentrations (200 µM) of nerolidol were inhibitory to Ferrovibrium and tested Firmicutes. While fungal isolates of Penicillium and Periconia were also more inhibited by higher concentrations (200 µM) of nerolidol, Clonostachys was enhanced at this higher level and together with Humicola was inhibited by the lower concentration tested (100 µM). On the other hand, 1,8-cineole had an inhibitory effect on Orbilia at both tested concentrations but had a promotive effect at 100 µM on Penicillium and Periconia . Similarly, linalool at 100 µM had significant growth promotion in Mortierella , but an inhibitory effect for Orbilia . Together, these results highlight the variable direct effects of terpenes on single microbial isolates and demonstrate the complexity of microbe-terpene interactions in the rhizobiome. Importance Terpenes represent one of the largest and oldest classes of plant-specialized metabolism, but their role in the belowground microbiome is poorly understood. Here, we used a “rhizobox” mesocosm experimental set-up to supply different concentrations and classes of terpenes into the soil compartment with growing sorghum for 1 month to assess how these terpenes affect sorghum bacterial and fungal rhizobiome communities. Changes in bacterial and fungal communities between treatments belowground were characterized, followed by bioassays screening on bacterial and fungal isolates from the sorghum rhizosphere against terpenes to validate direct microbial responses. We found that microbial growth stimulatory and inhibitory effects were localized, terpene specific, dose dependent, and transient in time. This work paves the way for engineering terpene metabolisms in plant microbiomes for improved sustainable agriculture and bioenergy crop production.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Power Grid Behavioral Patterns and Risks of Generalization in Applied Machine Learning

Recent years have seen a rich literature of data-driven approaches designed for power grid applications. However, insufficient consideration of domain knowledge can impose a high risk to the practicality of the methods. Specifically, ignoring the grid-specific spatiotemporal patterns (in load, generation, and topology, etc.) can lead to outputting infeasible, unrealizable, or completely meaningless predictions on new inputs. To address this concern, this paper investigates real-world operational data to provide insights into power grid behavioral patterns, including the time-varying topology, load, and generation, as well as the spatial differences (in peak hours, diverse styles) between individual loads and generations. Then based on these observations, we evaluate the generalization risks in some existing ML works caused by ignoring these grid-specific patterns in model design and training.

Li, Shimiao↗

pnnl-predictive-phenomics/concerto

This software was developed to solve the problem of curating and validating individual metabolic models and combining them into different consortia.

Pino, James↗

Forensic characterization of surrogate nuclear explosion debris: radiochemical and spectroscopic strategies for method validation

Surrogate nuclear explosion debris (SNED) has emerged as a critical platform for advancing post-detonation nuclear forensic analysis in the absence of readily accessible historic materials. SNED enables controlled investigation and validation of analytical methodologies used to interrogate the chemical, isotopic, radiological, and microstructural signatures preserved in nuclear explosion debris. This review presents an integrated assessment of destructive and non-destructive analytical techniques commonly employed within decision-driven nuclear forensic workflows. Each technique is discussed individually while highlighting how it contributes to different stages of post-detonation analysis. Core methods – including gamma and alpha spectrometry, ICP-MS, TIMS, SIMS, SEM-EDS, XRF, LIBS, vibrational spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy – are critically evaluated with respect to forensic maturity, information content, and matrix limitations. Emphasis is placed on the role of SNED in benchmarking multi-modal workflows and identifying gaps in reproducing heterogeneity, fractionation, and radiation-driven evolution relevant to forensic attribution.

X-ray spectroscopic methods↗